Electrolytic cell.



E. A. & H. I. ALLEN.

ELECTROLYTIC CELL.

APPLICATION FILED 1AN.2, 1914.

Lmm. Patented July 27,1915.

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ELECTROLYTlC CELL APPLlcATloN FILED 1AYN.2

Patented July 27, 1915.

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EDWARD A. ALLEE', 0F RUMFRD FALLS, AND-HEFJBER'1 it. ALLEN, 0F ,FRTLANE,MATNE, ASSTG-NURS T ELEGTRUN CHEIVITCAL COMPANY, 0F PORTLND, MTNE, d.

(URPORATIN 0F MTNE.

ELECTROLYTTC CELL.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented duly 2t?, 1915..

Application filed. January 2, 19M. Serial 1t' o. 309,833.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it lrnown that we, EDWARD A. ALLEN and HERBERT '1. ALLEN, citizens ofthe United States, and residents, respectively, of Rumford Falls, in thecounty of Oxford, State of Maine, and of Portland, in the county ofCumberland and State of Maine, have invented certain new and usefulTmprovements in Electrolytic Cells, of which the following is aspecication.

This invention relates to electrolytic cells, ni its object is toprovide an improved cell @t the accompanying drawings, which illustrateour invention: Figure 1 represents a perspective view, partly brokenaway, of a unitary cell body composed of cast concrete. Fig. 2represents a top plan View of the complete cell body, on a smallerscale. Fig. 3 represents a longitudinal vertical section through thecell body, in the plane indicated by line 3--3 of Fig. 2. Fig. 4represents an end elevation of the cell body, on a larger scale. Fig. 5represents a vertical cross section through the cell body and includesthe electrodes and means for holdin them in place. Fig. 6 represents aperspec ive view of one end of a two-part cell body, the end portion ofthe base member being indicated by dotted lines to expose to view themortised formation of the anode-supporting portion. Fig. 7 represents aperspective view of the end portion which is represented by dotted linesin Fig. 6.

The same reference characters indicate the same parts wherever theyoccur.

Tn both :torms illustrated by the drawings, the cell body is composed ofconcrete.

Referring more particularly now to the form shown by Figs. l to 5,inclusive, the cell body is cast complete in one part, the variousportions oi which include a base 10, upstanding end portions 11, 11, anda horizontally extending top portion l2 connecting the end portions.These four portions i'orma substantially rectangular open body andprovide an anode chamber 13 which is open at the sides ot the body. Thebase 1G includes a continuous laterally extending ange 11i in which isformed a continuous trough 15 for collecting the caustic soda whichdrips from the cathodes. caustic soda is discharged from the troughthrough a.' port 16.' The top portion 12 The which for convenience weterm the freeboard, is formed with a series of vertically extendingholes 17 which receive the carbon rods 51 by which the anodes 50 aresupported in the chamber 13. The holes 17 are elliptic in cross sectionto provide spaces for the accumulation of chlorin gas. The rods 51 havelateral extensions which rest .upon the surface 18. This as shown isbelow the actual top of the freeboard in consequence of forming adepression inthe top of the freeboard. This depression is surrounded onits :tour sides by Hanges 19 and is adapted to receive a suitable platefor supporting the carbon rods which support the anodes. The cathodes,indicated as a whole at 20, 2O in Fig. 5, are held rmly against thesides of the cell body by clamping bars 21, and the cell body is-provided with a plurality of horizontallyextending transverse holes 22through` which screwrods 23 may be loosely passed to providethe-necessary support for the bars 21. As shown by Fig. 5, the upperscrew-rod 23 is secured in place by nuts 24 and washers 25 which bearagainst the freeboard 12, the ends of the rod projecting sutticientlybeyond the nuts 24 to receive theclamping bars 21 and clamping nuts 26.The clamping nuts as shown are provided-with handies 27 by which theymay be set up to y force the clamping bars against the cathodes and toforce the cathodes in turn against the vertical surface adorded by thebase 10, end portions 11 and freeboard 12.

It will be observed that the trough hereinbefore mentioned is below andinv vertical alinement with the cathodes, where it is adapted to receivethe caustic soda which drips from the cathodes. A passageway 30 extendsdownwardly through one end ot the freeboard 12 and into one of theupstanding end portions llvwhich is for this reason made larger than theother end por, tion 11. A. horizontal passageway 31 (Fig. 3) extendsfrom the bottom of the passageway 30 into the anode chamber 14- 4wherebythe brine may be introduced into the anode chamber by being deliveredinto the top of the passageway 30. l/Ve have shown the cell body asbeing provided with reinforcements in the form of rods. The base l0 isprovided with longitudinally extending reinforcing rods 32 and withtransversely extending reintorcing rods 33 whose ends are lll@ l perscrew-rods 23 extendthrough the verti-l turned upwardly as indicated at34 to reinforce the flange 14. rlhe end portions l1 are reinforced byvertically extending rods 35, and the freeboard 12 is reinforced byhorizontal longitudinally extending rods 36. In each instance the rodsare entirely inclosed in the body of concrete so that they will not be.exposed at any point to the electrolyte. The several reinforcing rodsare arranged so that they will not intersect any of the holes orpassageways with which the cell body is provided. As shown by Figs. 2and 3, the holes 22 which receive the upcal partitions whichseparate-the holes 17, the screw-rods being thus isolated from theelectrolyte and the gases.

Referring now to Figs. 6 and 7, which illustrate in what manner the cellbody may be made in two parts, the structure is substantially thesame asthat hereinbefore described excepting that the freeboard 12 is notintegral with relation to the upstanding end p0rtions.` In this form oneof the end portions is indicated at 11 and is formed with a horizontalshoulder upon which a complemental shoulder 41 of the freeboard isadapted to rest. Similar shoulders are formed on the other end portionand at the other end of the freeboard. In order to preserve the lateralrelation of the freeboard the ends of, the latter are provided withvertically extending ribs 42, and the end portions 11 are provided withgrooves 43 for the reception of ysaid ribs. The freeboard is thusadapted to be lowered into the desired position relatively to thebaseand end portions of the cell body. The end portion l1 illustrated isprovided with passageways 30 and 3l similar to those hereinbeforedescribed, for conducting the brine into the ode-supporting membersarranged in said holes, said holes being substantially larger in crosssection than said supporting members to provide gas chambers.

2. An electrolytic cell comprising a main body having an anode chamberopen at opposite sides, anodes arranged in said chamber, cathodesarranged outside said chamber in coperative relation to the open sidesof thelatter, and means arranged to fasten said cathodes to` said mainbody, said main body including a concrete base, portions of which baseunderlie said cathodes and have troughs-formed in them to collectWhatever liquid drips from the cathodes.

3. An electrolytic cell comprising a top portion, a bottom portion, andend portions, forming an anode chamber open at opposite sides, saidtopportion having holes extending substantially vertically'therethrough toprovide gas chambers communicating with said anode chamber, said topportion also having rod-receiving holes extending transverselytherethrough, said rod-receiving holes being between said gas chambers,anodes arranged in said anode chamber, cathodes arranged. outside saidanode chamber in coperative relation to the open sides of the latter,rods arranged in said rod-receiving holes, and means arranged to coactwith said rods to fasten said cathodesvin place. 4. An electrolytic cellbody comprising a top portion, a bottom portion, and end portions,forming an anode chamber open at opposite sides, said top portion havingholes extending substantially vertically therethrough to provide gaschambers, said top portion also having holes extending transverselytherethrough between said gas chambers to receive rods for fasteningcathodes in place. n

5. An electrolytic cell body comprising a base portion and upstandingend portions integral therewith and composed of concrete, and adetachable top portion for supporting the anodes, said end portions andtop portions being formed with coperative top-supporting shoulders andcoperative tongue and groove formations for holding said top portion inplace.

In testimony whereof we have aliixed our 5 signatures, in presence oftwo witnesses.

EDWARD A. ALLEN. HERBERTI. ALLEN.

uwitnesses:

GEO. i/V. LANE, Jr., HAROLD R.. Romina.

